Puncture proof material with capture devices

Abstract

A puncture proof material is provided. The material includes a first mat that is woven using metal strips forming a warp and a weft of the first mat. The metal strips have a capture device near the center of each intersection of the warp and weft of the first mat. The capture device can be implemented with a hole, depression or etched rectangular hole near the center of each intersection of the warp and weft of the first mat. A second mat, woven of metal strips having a capture device near the center of each intersection of the warp and weft of the second mat, overlays the first woven mat. Additional mats can be overlaid to increase the puncture proof characteristic of the material. Another capture device implementation includes a top layer woven of annealed metal foil of relatively low tensile strength overlaid over other randomly overlaid layers each woven of metal foil of higher tensile strength.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to a protective puncture proof material to protect against accidental injuries from needles, scalpel blades, knives and other sharp pointed instruments.DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ARTProtection from accidental cuts and punctures is needed in the fields of medicine and law enforcement, and in any occupation where sharp instruments are encountered and where the combination of flexibility and protection against cuts and puncture wounds is needed.Accidental needle sticks and scalpel blade cuts occur to doctors and nurses, while performing surgery, giving injections, taking blood samples, and administering intravenous liquids. The accidental needle sticks and scalpel blade cuts by themselves are harmful; however, in a medical situation a cut or puncture can also transmit infection either to the patient or to the medical person performing the procedure.In the past, the main concern was that a surgeon would infect the patient during surgery....

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

It is an object of this invention to provide a puncture proof material that provides flexibility and elasticity and protects against dangerous puncture wounds from needles and scalpels.

Problems solved by technology

The accidental needle sticks and scalpel blade cuts by themselves are harmful; however, in a medical situation a cut or puncture can also transmit infection either to the patient or to the medical person performing the procedure.

Unfortunately, it is also increasingly crucial to protect surgeons and other medical personnel from infection.

This presents an unacceptable risk factor for surgeons and other medical personnel.

Clearly surgeons and other health care workers are facing a high risk of infection from needlesticks and other sharp instruments.

If the latex gloves are not penetrated then the patient and the surgeon are protected from infection; however, latex gloves offer hardly any protection against accidental punctures or cuts, because hypodermic needles and scalpel blades can easily puncture or cut through a latex glove.

Even multiple layers of latex gloves, which medical personnel increasingly use to provide additional protection against transmission of infection, offer no protection against accidental punctures or cuts.

This factor of approximately one hundred is a key reason that conventional protective gloves fail to offer adequate protection against punctures.

Most accidents in the operating room occur with some significant force.

Some of the materials, such as leather and Kevlar knits provide protection against cuts, but virtually no protection against punctures.

Making the weave tighter or thicker does not prevent punctures; moreover, a thicker or tighter weave significantly reduces the flexibility of these gloves and their usefulness.

The shortcoming of these approaches is that the reinforced areas have little flexibility so can only be placed on certain areas, which leaves the rest of the glove without the same protection.

Also, even woven fiberglass and corrugated metal may be punctured.

Providing leather on a glove is an approach that provides some protection to cuts; however, little protection to punctures.

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